


I Took Everything From Myself.

by nessiesary



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Attempted Murder, Brainwashing, Character Death, Emotional Baggage, Experiments, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Major Character Injury, Major Original Character(s), Malnourishment, Marvel Cinematic Universe AU, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Mutate and Mutant Powers, Muzzles, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Painful Realizations, Sensory Deprivation, Sexual Abuse, Sleep Deprivation, The Avengers Are Good Bros, Torture, Villians to Anti-Heroes, domestic abuse, emotional detachment, villians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 04:19:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19822390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nessiesary/pseuds/nessiesary
Summary: WARNING: READER DISCRETION ADVISEDContains: (Sometimes) Graphic depictions of Violence and Sexual Acts, LGBTQA+ Content, Mentions/Acts of Torture and Abuse, Mentions/Acts of Self-Harm, and Other Sensitive Topics.-----NOTE: This is based in the MCU. Many Avengers will appear, as well as Venom and Deadpool. I in no way own any of the Marvel characters mentioned/portrayed.-----"What happened to her?""You killed her. You belong to us, 031."





	1. [Optional Read]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Information and character sheets for those who care to read them <3

Let's just get straight into it, shall we?

\- This story is set in an alternate timeline MCU.  
\- The main character is Angelica Walters.  
\- The basic plot is that HYDRA began spreading out before the downfall of SHIELD, into places such as hospitals, large business corporations, etc.  
\- There will eventually be some (possibly) disturbing scenes such as detailed murder, torture, etc.  
\- Be prepared for depression/anxiety/paranoia/etc.  
\- I use etc. too much but whatever.  
\- Also, the ages in the files are what they are at the beginning. Time passes a lot so eventually Angelica will be 18.

Now for character files (MORE TO BE ADDED LATER):

 **[ F I L E : 031 ]**  
**[ G E N E R A L ]**  
FIRST NAME : Angelica  
MIDDLE NAME : Lynn  
LAST NAME : Walters  
ALIAS/NICKNAMES : Siren, Angel, Angela, Allie, A.  
AGE : 17 Years, 10 Months, 3 Days.  
SEX : Female  
GENDER : Female  
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Bisexual  
RACE : Caucasian  
ABILITIES : Enhanced Senses (mostly hearing), Sleep-Inducing Singing, Water-Breathing and other Lung Immunity, Enhanced Healing Underwater, and Increased Agility / Flexibility.  
APPEARANCE PRIOR : Long, blonde hair with dark brown roots. Brown eyes, thick brown eyebrows, soft square jawline, pear-shaped figure, 5'7". Pale skin, a long scar down the inside of her right forearm. Thin frame.  
APPEARANCE AFTER : Uneven, long blonde hair with dark brown roots, stained pink by blood. Dull gray eyes, thick brown eyebrows, sharp square jawline, pear-shaped figure, 5'8". Sickly pale skin, various scars littering her body. Shimmering green scales in patches across her skin that shed and appear elsewhere. (Lean) Muscled frame.  
**[ F A M I L Y / R E L A T I O N S ]**  
MOTHER(S) : Amanda "Mandy" Jane Walters  
FATHER(S) : Phillip Ryan Walters  
OTHER LEGAL GUARDIAN(S) : None  
SIBLING(S) : Isabella "Bella" Marie Walters  
OFFSPRING : None  
ROMANTIC ATTRACTION/RELATIONSHIP(S) : Lillian Eva King (Girlfriend)

 **[ F I L E : 030 ]**  
**[ G E N E R A L ]**  
FIRST NAME : Tabitha  
MIDDLE NAME : Renae  
LAST NAME : Ardoin  
ALIAS/NICKNAMES : Tabby, Chaos  
AGE : 22 Years, 2 Months, 15 Days.  
SEX : Female  
GENDER : Female/Non-Binary  
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : Pansexual  
RACE : Asian-American Descent  
ABILITIES : Host to a symbiote, Chaos. Said symbiote has the unique ability to release toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide.  
APPEARANCE PRIOR : Long, straight, black hair. Wide, deep brown eyes, arched black eyebrows, sharp angled jawline, thin hourglass figure, 5'5". Naturally tanned skin, with a small beauty mark beneath her left eye.  
APPEARANCE AFTER : Collar-bone length, straight, black hair, with red tips. Wide, deep brown eyes, arched black eyebrows, sharp angled jawline, muscled but thin hourglass figure, 5'8". Naturally tanned skin, with a small beauty mark beneath her left eye. The symbiote is a deep red, with vein-like streaks of black and purple, and opal eyes that curl up. They have an unnatural, sharp-toothed smile. Their face is sleek and angled similarly to Tabitha's.  
**[ F A M I L Y / R E L A T I O N S ]**  
MOTHER(S) : Willa Leanne Ardoin (Adoptive)  
FATHER(S) : Everett Jacob Ardoin (Adoptive)  
OTHER LEGAL GUARDIAN(S) : None  
SIBLING(S) : Zoe Leanne Ardoin (Sister) and Matthew Keaton Ardoin (Adoptive Brother)  
OFFSPRING : None  
ROMANTIC ATTRACTION/RELATIONSHIP(S) : None  
**[ B A C K S T O R Y ]**  
Tabitha was adopted into the rich Ardoin family as a small child, along with her sister Zoe. When she entered grade school, she was one of the top scholars. She attended college just after graduating, but had a motorcycle accident just after the first semester. She was rushed to the nearest hospital where Dr. King operated on her.  
Tabitha was in a coma for multiple months, and was subjected to tests from HYDRA in an attempt to recruit her. They allowed a symbiote to bond with her, expecting the worst. But, she finally awoke, contained in a solid steel room. She lashed out, and in a failed attempt to escape, achieved complete symbiosis.

 **[ F I L E : 032 ]**  
**[ G E N E R A L ]**  
FIRST NAME : Bailey  
MIDDLE NAME : Reid  
LAST NAME : Jacobs  
ALIAS/NICKNAMES : Bales, BJ, Paradox.  
AGE : 11 Years, 7 Months, 1 Day.  
SEX : Male  
GENDER : Male  
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : N/A  
RACE : African American  
ABILITIES : Shape-shifting and heightened senses other than sight. His shape-shifting absorbs much of his energy if he morphs repeatedly, but his handlers at the hospital aren't aware of this, so he's malnourished from strenuous training.  
APPEARANCE PRIOR : Short, curled black hair. Large brown eyes, thick black eyebrows, soft square jawline, slightly malnourished, small figure, 4'11", and deep ebony skin.  
APPEARANCE AFTER : Short, blood matted, curled black hair. A dark brown left eye, and a milky white right eye. Thick black eyebrows, sharp square jawline, clearly malnourished, small figure, 4'11", and deep ebony skin. When shape-shifting, his eyes keep their color.  
**[ F A M I L Y / R E L A T I O N S ]**  
MOTHER(S) : Unknown  
FATHER(S) : Unknown  
OTHER LEGAL GUARDIAN(S) : None  
SIBLING(S) : None  
OFFSPRING : None  
ROMANTIC ATTRACTION/RELATIONSHIP(S) : None  
**[ B A C K S T O R Y ]**  
Bailey's parents volunteered him for money at the hospital for 'bloodwork.' Not much is known about his past, since he doesn't remember it himself. The experiments resulted in blindness in his right eye.


	2. Because You Wrote 'Don't Forget' On Your Arm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ chapter title from the song 'you wrote don't forget on your arm' ]  
> \-----  
> angelica makes some bad decisions with lillie and hopes her mother isn't awake
> 
> [ this chapter is a bit fast-paced, mainly because i have a lot planned and this is just an introduction of sorts ]
> 
> word count : 2,413

Angelica had known Lillian for basically their whole lives. She was the only person that was allowed to call her Lillie. These little things made Angel happy when she remembered them. They would sacrifice the world, and themselves, for each other. They had something together that no one else could give them.

"Hey Angel, how does this dress look?" Lillie stepped out of the bathroom slowly, her feet sinking into the plush carpet just outside the door.

"For the last time Lillie, all of them look amazing." Angel chuckled softly as a pink blush enveloped her best friend's cheeks. She pulled the shorter girl close to her position on the edge of the bed, interlocking their fingers. "C'mere." They both fluttered their eyes closed and connected their lips in a tender kiss as Lillie leaned down. Angel disconnected their hands and wrapped her arms gently around the other girl's waist. Lillie's fingers laced into Angel's blonde hair as she carefully pulled away. Their foreheads rested together as they listened to each other's breathing.

"You should really get ready." Lillie's voice was soft, and her words lacked conviction. If they didn't have a night planned to enjoy, they would gladly stay inside and kiss forever. Angel whimpered with a pout as Lillie smiled and disappeared back into the bathroom.

"Fine. Only because we get to spend time together." Angel pushed herself off the smooth canopy bed, pulling the bag she brought off the floor and reaching inside. She felt around for a moment before grabbing onto something delicate. She held it in front of her to study it momentarily, before undressing shamelessly and slipping the maroon fabric over her figure. The style was not what she usually opted for, being an off-the-shoulder, long sleeved, a-line, silk dress that tied in the front. But, as Lillie said, it complemented her long blonde hair and pale skin nicely, as well as the dark lipstick and eye shadow she wore. Normally, Angelica hated wearing makeup because it felt odd against her skin, but she made exceptions for Lillie. Therefore, she had no complaints.

"You look so stunning.." Angelica turned to face Lillie as she heard her breathless tone. "I think I'm jealous." She joked lightheartedly, but her green eyes sparkled with lust beneath her thick lashes.

Angel admired the girl before her. Lillie's hair was blonde as well, but it was shoulder-length and wavy. Also, unlike Angel's, it was naturally that color. Her dress consisted of white lace on the top, and long pink tulle that flowed nicely around her legs. Her skin was slightly darker, but couldn't quite be considered tan. "Talk about beautiful. How could you be jealous when you look like that?" Angel laughed in disbelief, attempting to cover the self-deprecating tinge to her words.

Lillie, of course, picked up on it easily. "Angel.."

"Nah-ah, let's get going before we're late." She plastered a fake grin onto her face, which earned her a sad smile from Lillie.

"Okay, come on then impatience." She shook her head lightly. She sent Angel a look, implying 'We'll talk about this later.'

"Hey, don't give me that look! You know it makes me all tingly."

"Oh my lord, you're so gross." Lillie rolled her eyes playfully as they exited her room, their arms interlocked at the elbows.

"You know you love me and my grossness." Angel smirked.

"Of course."

—————

"As soon as we get back to your house I'm going to rip that dress off of you. By the time I'm done you won't be able to walk for a week." Angelica whispered deeply into Lillie's ear as she leaned into the smaller girl, smirking in satisfaction as she received a quite gasp.

"Oh fuck, please, don't say that in public." Lillie's voice was an octave higher than usual as she basically whined the words. She couldn't help but get turned on by the endless flirting. And also, Angel. Lillie caught herself admiring her best friend, or rather girlfriend, all night. 'Maybe we should have stayed home.'

"Oh, but baby, teasing is so much more fun in public." Angel chuckled lightly as her lips carefully grazed Lillie's soft neck, making her shudder excitedly.

"You're lucky I love you." Lillie growled half-heartedly as she melted into Angel's touch.

"Mhm." She buried her head into Lillie's neck, rubbing at the small of her back as they continued dancing. Angel had always enjoyed classical ballroom dancing, and Lillie grew up with it, so occasionally they would make it a date and dance in Lillie's grandma's mansion. Of course, sometimes they were alone, but other times her grandmother decided to have a party. Either way, they eventually ended back up in Lillie's bedroom.

—————

Lillie broke their kiss so they could catch their breath, glancing down at the small string of saliva that dripped from their tongues. She smiled at Angel, her arms laying on the taller girl's shoulders. Her legs straddled Angel's waist and upper thighs, something they often did because Lillie liked staring down into Angel's sparkly brown eyes. "Are you going to keep your promise?"

"Trust me, you'll be too sore to move." Angel flashed a very familiar smirk as she leaned forward, pressing her swollen lips into Lillie's skin and sucking lightly. Her hands gripped at Lillie's hips, grinding them against her own every-so-often with a small groan. She sunk her teeth lightly into the space just below Lillie's collarbone. "Fuck, you're so beautiful." Her fingers wandered up and around Lillie's back, finally resting on the clasp of her bra. She looked up, asking silently for permission.

She nodded without hesitation, the feeling of Angel's mouth still lingering on her body. Lillie listened to the quiet snap of the hooks being looped out, and lowered her arms to slide the bra off. Angel seemed to admire her as if she was a work of art, which made Lillie blush furiously and desperately kiss her. As they reconnected, she felt warm hands as they slid up her torso, gently massaging her chest. Lillie failed at pressing back the small moan that escaped her, muffled by Angel's mouth. "P-Please.." She muttered breathlessly.

"What was that?"

"Please Angel.."

—————

"Ow.." Lillie felt the tension in her muscles as she outstretched her arms, her back arching simultaneously. "God, I guess you kept your promise." She looked over her bare shoulder at Angel, who had just sat up and was already massaging at Lillie's back.

"Don't I always?" She released a short grunt as she cocked her head to the side, a quiet crack resounding from her neck. "You didn't do too bad yourself."

"Whatever." Lillie chuckled lightly as she reached back, caressing Angel's cheek with a brush of her fingertips. "Come on, let's get you home before our parents wake up."

"Don't have to remind me." Angel grumbled as she pressed her forehead into Lillie's shoulder blades tiredly, sighing dramatically. She glanced at the clock on Lillie's wall. "It's 3 AM, I don't want to go.."

"Aww, babe, you have to." Lillie cast her a small smile before pushing herself gently off the bed, moving to round up all of Angel's clothes.

"Fine.."

—————

Angelica carefully pushed at the window to her bedroom, sliding it open as quietly as possible. She slipped inside, pulling her backpack behind her. She bit her lip as she bumped into her dresser, stumbling to the floor with a short gasp. Her jaw tightened painfully as she squeezed her eyes shut. An anxious lump formed in her throat as she listened for footsteps.

Shit.

A soft tap echoed through the hallway just before her mother burst into the room, a knife in hand. She looked terrified momentarily, and then furious when she saw Angel fumbling to stand. "Where the fuck did you go?!" She practically yelled the words, prompting her father to enter the room also. He looked tired and cast a sympathetic look at Angel.

"I-I.." Angel finally stood, her hands twisting nervously behind her back, "Imayhaveleftandgonedancing." She sputtered the words, jumbling them together.

"Angelica Walters! What the hell did I tell you about sneaking out?" The rage in her mother's face was visible now. "Why do you want to disobey me so badly?!" Her shaking fingers gripped the knife in her hand tightly, her knuckles white.

"Mandy.." Angel's father reached forward, gently pressing his hand on Amanda's shoulder. Her eyebrows knit together as she spun around, her eyes shining dangerously.

"Phillip." She ground out between clenched teeth. "Let go." She raised the knife slowly, "I don't want to hurt you, but Angelica needs to learn." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Mandy, this is insane. What has gotten into you?" Phillip seemed to choose his words carefully, "Please.."

"Oh, I'm insane?" Amanda ripped herself away from him and took an unbalanced step back. Angel watched in shock, her body unwilling to move. Her parents continued their conversation until her mother seemed to snap.

"Mandy, please don't-"

"Stop calling me Mandy!" Amanda's voice cracked as she yelled, throwing herself at Phillip and sinking the knife in his back as they fell. He cried out painfully as they crashed to the floor, his body convulsing and spilling blood onto the dark wood. Angelica stumbled backwards, her breath hitching. She fell against the wall, silent tears rushing down her face. When her mother heard her hit the wall, Amanda turned in a blind panic and lunged at her. Angel couldn't find the strength to fight back.

—————

A knock resounded on Lillian's bedroom window, prompting her to jump up from her black canopy bed in shock. Once she recognized the muffled voice that called to her from behind the glass, she shuffled over and quietly pushed it open. "Angel?.." Her tired voice trailed off as her heavy eyelids parted. Her green eyes widened at the sight before her. Angel clung to the bricks, shaking as tears streamed down her pale skin. A deep purple bruise coated her left cheek, and her lips were swollen and bleeding. "Oh my god, get in here." She helped pull her best friend inside, shuttering at the cold night air that blew against her face. Angel stumbled to the bed and slumped against the end of it, choking back a sob as she hid her face in her hands. Lillie slid the window closed and hurried over to where Angel sat on the carpet. Her nervous green gaze drifted downwards, resting on a patch of blood that stained Angel's light blue shirt. "What the hell happened?" As expected, she gained no response as she fell to her knees, pulling Angel to her chest. Lillie's arms wrapped around the other girl's shivering frame.

Brown eyes stared up at her with dilated pupils, glistening with hot tears. She didn't say anything, however, and just gripped desperately at Lillie's shirt with one hand and her own ribs with the other. "Sorry I didn't-" Angel was cut off as she released a wet, strained cough. Lillian felt her whole body rattle with said cough. "Call.." She finished painfully.

"It's alright, honey.." Lillie smiled sadly, feeling her eyes sting just before her face burned with tears.

"Aw, don't cry." Angel's mouth quirked into a mix of a grimace and a grin, "Please, you're killin' me here babe." She attempted to laugh, but it hurt and morphed into a quiet wheeze.

"Sorry.." Lillie's arms began to ease away, but she felt Angel tense and tighten her hold. In response, she replaced her arms and gently rubbed Angel's hunched back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Angelica's only reply was shaking her head 'no' weakly. She let herself relax against the bed and swallowed a thick lump in her throat. Angel's jaw tightened as she inhaled, the wound on her stomach bleeding onto her pale hand. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she mumbled, "Goodnight."

"Angel? A, stay with me. Please don't fall asleep. Angel!" Lillie's voice faded as her widened orbits watched thick blood oozing from blue fabric. Angel was breathing, but it was shallow, "Dad! Mom!" She cried out for her parents, since it was the only thing she could think to do.

They both rushed in, and her father called his hospital.

—————

Her eyes stung. Bright lights blurred her vision. Her head lolled to the side as she felt herself moving. There were people, but she couldn't hear them, just a high-pitched ringing. Dark, steel walls made her squirm anxiously, but she couldn't stay conscious for long. Fatigue plagued her, and she was enveloped in darkness once again.

She jolted out of sleep more than once. Each time, there was a new, excruciating pain. She drifted out of reality and eventually had a long pause of silent peace.

When she was finally able to feel her own body, every small movement she made caused her throat to tighten. It was agonizing. Her brown eyes squinted harshly against the light in the room. Where the fuck am I?

Her ears had stopped ringing, and were now just full of white noise. A humanoid hum eventually broke through the silence surrounding her, as well as the steady beep of a machine. She didn't dare move, even to survey her surroundings. It wasn't worth it.

"Ah, Angelica." The tone of the familiar voice made Angel twitch. It was full of sympathy and something like curiosity, and very distinct. It could only belong to one person, whom she recognized as he stepped into her line of sight. Lillie's father?

"Where.." She seemed to choke on her words as her throat was incredibly dry.

Mr. King seemed to understand, "You're in the hospital." He pointed a black pen at the badge on his white shirt.

"What happened?.." Angel managed the hoarse question and coughed, her whole body convulsing.

He scribbled something onto a notepad, but didn't seem to worry about her condition. "That's what I should be asking you. How did you obtain two broken ribs, a broken nose, and a stab wound to the stomach?" He seemed detached, maybe uninterested, as he asked.

She wracked her brain, closing her eyes as if to focus. Why don't I remember? It was on the tip of her tongue as she shook her head slightly, "I-I don't.. know."

"Hm.." Mr. King mumbled something to himself as he wrote again, "I have to go. Just relax, you'll be fine." He flashed a smile and a sudden wave of unease rushed over Angel. He left quietly.

_Where are the windows?_


	3. Nothing Is Worse Than The Beginning.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ WARNING : torture/experiments and implied non-con/rape ]  
> \-----  
> angelica finds herself in a bit of distress. where is lillie?
> 
> word count : 2,742

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ just want to clarify that this story was originally started on my wattpad, but i decided to move it here for no particular reason. these first two chapters were already written, but this one has been added onto ]

Just a week after Angel was admitted to the hospital, the nurse that cared for her explained that she had to get some shots. She wasn't quite sure why, but she couldn't do much about it anyways. The nurse, named Clara, carefully helped her into a wheelchair, rolling her down a steel gray hallway. They passed through a set of double doors, and then she was pushed to a stop in a different room. It seemed similar to a doctor's office instead of a hospital, but she didn't bother commenting.

There were two female nurses and two male nurses that trailed in after her. She studied them curiously, her fingers twisting around each other. One of the male nurses, Edward, pulled a shaky metal cart behind him. The tools it held rattled furiously against each other and the surface of the tray. "Hello, Ms. Walters." He greeted with a warm smile.

She cleared her throat, forcing a grin. "H-Hi."

His steady fingers lifted a syringe, inspecting the needle. He sent her a short smile before nodding to another nurse. Her name tag read 'Lisa.' She gripped Angel's left shoulder and helped her gingerly out of the chair, placing her free hand on Angel's back. "If you'll just lay on the table.."

Angel's brows furrowed. She, once again, remained silent. She eased herself onto the cushioned table, with assistance of course. Once she was fully laid out, her brown eyes flickered around the ceiling. The blood soaked bandages that twisted around her abdomen itched uncomfortably, and her torso still hurt badly. "Just hold still." Another nurse instructed.

She didn't know what was happening until it was over.

All the nurses but Edward huddled around her, restraining her limbs and securing them beneath leather straps. She thrashed in shock, attempting to struggle free of their grips. Angel found herself shaking once they retreated. She pushed against the leather uselessly. "What are you doing?" Angel's words were unsteady as her throat tightened. Her terror only grew when Edward spoke.

"Shh, calm down. As told, you need some injections. However, we were instructed to do some blood work as well." Edward's voice was cold and caused her to bite her tongue.

A sterile pad was rubbed along the sensitive skin on the inside of her arm. Angel's jaw clenched as the large needle slipped into her flesh. She stiffened.

Her veins ached as she watched the liquid drain from the syringe. Once it was empty, her eyelids grew heavy, her vision darkened, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

—————

It was like drowning in fire. Everything burned.

Angelica's whole body was quivering. Her brown eyes scanned the space around her. It was dark, she was on the floor, and there was nothing but a drain, toilet, sink, and small bag. She scrambled backwards, pushing against a wall as she struggled to breathe. Her body was convulsing painfully, her back arching unnaturally. She tried to scream, but it was choked and gurgled, and horrific. It was inhuman.

She felt small pinpricks on her biceps, and glanced down nervously. Her vision was blurred, but before another surge of agony washed over her, she was able to see that her nails were sharp and clawing at her own skin. Warm blood trickled down her pale arms and made her nauseous.

—————

Angelica was able to grasp reality after what felt like hours, with the pain subdued. In fact, her whole body had grown numb with only dull aches. She tried to shift her limbs, but she couldn't force any of her joints to bend. Her head lolled to the side as she surveyed the room yet again. Nothing changed, but now she noticed a slightly darker rectangle outlined on the opposite wall. A window. Or well, one-way glass. It was.. unsettling.

Someone was watching.

Just as Angel was able to persuade her fingers into a loose fist, the door to her right creaked in warning. Her muscles tensed in response to the sound as her gaze caught on the now opening door. The expanding entrance illuminated the dark room harshly.

"But ma'am, I'm not sure she's ready-"

"Nonsense, the serum took to her blood. If we wait any longer I'm afraid she might die." The voice was one she didn't recognize. Her vision clouded with black splotches as a woman entered. Angelica willed her lips to open in an attempt to groan, but no sound escaped.

—————

Angelica was unsure just how long she was disoriented, but as she pried her eyelids apart, glaring white light blinded her momentarily. She released a strained noise, somewhere between a whimper and a gasp. It died abruptly in her throat.

Thick metal bands pressed heavily upon her wrists as she attempted to lift them, irritated red lines appearing on her white skin. She inhaled audibly, the cold steel against her bare back causing her to shiver. The female voice from before broke the heavy silence, "Ah, you're awake." She stepped into view.

Angel's brows twitched as she carefully avoided prolonged eye-contact. The woman was beautiful. Her black, chest-length hair was in soft curls around her face. Her skin was naturally tanned, and her jawline was delicate. She wore a white button-up with an ironed black suit jacket. A black pencil skirt restricted around her hips, down to her knees, exposing her very flattering figure. After observing her completely, Angel noticed that her eyes were an unnatural purple. If Angelica wasn't strapped to a chair in a hospital that terrified her, she would most likely flirt with the woman before her.

"I apologize for your treatment. It is for your guaranteed safety." She smiled warmly, "My name is Viviana, but you may call me V."

"Wh-" Angel winced at the sound of her own voice, and struggled to swallow.

Viviana's features twisted into a mixture of sympathy and intrigue. She blinked slowly before seeming to remember something. She shuffled behind the chair again and returned shortly after, a white plastic cup in her elegant fingers. Viviana gingerly lifted it to Angelica's lips. "It's water." She reassured, noticing Angel's apprehension.

She hesitantly parted her dry lips, feeling the plastic press lightly against her flesh. Water trickled into her mouth, cold and soothing. She swallowed and gratefully emptied the cup. After Viviana withdrew it, Angelica's eyes followed her until she was out of sight once more.

"Very well. Initiate trial one, phase one."

After a few minutes of preparation behind her, Viviana appeared with a few nurses by her side and latex gloves. She nodded and spoke to them for a bit before they dispersed about the room.

A sharp prickle stung at her right forearm, prompting Angelica to focus her attention. Wide brown orbits settled on the small scalpel as it began to drag along her skin, a thin line of red trailing after. The cold air of the room against now exposed flesh made Angel inhale through her teeth. The long slice was continued from the bend of her arm to the crest of her center knuckle. 

Viviana observed the nurse as the incision was made, a larger cup of water in her smooth hands. Her violet eyes often redirected to study Angelica's face and expressions. The nurse, Clara, who had taken care of her, now attempted to spread the skin apart. Angel shivered uncomfortably.

"Good. Trial one, phase two."

The process was replicated on her left forearm, both of her thighs, and her stomach. Her breathing was uneven and quick, which only worsened as Viviana ordered, "Trial two, phase one."

A slightly larger blade was extracted from a metal tray, reflecting the bright light in the room with glistening metal. Angelica felt her nails dig further into the flesh of her palm as she wriggled helplessly in the seat.

—————

The procedure was repeated, overall, five times.

Each one was progressively more painful, and was in the same location. By the end of the 'operation,' the cuts on her sensitive skin were deep crimson with blood and surrounded by irritated flesh. Angelica was sobbing, her body trembling weakly, as blood dripped from her arms, legs, and torso.

"No reaction ma'am." Clara glanced between Angel and Viviana after placing the bloodied knife on a tray.

"Very well. Prepare her for trial six."

"But ma'am, the incisions.."

"Clara." Viviana's voice was suddenly harsh, "Prepare the patient for trial six." She cast Angel a grin before exiting the room.

Angelica felt a cold sensation on her neck, followed by an agonizing prick as something was injected forcefully. Her muscles tensed and spasmed violently before they relaxed, completely against her will. Her body was then cloaked in a dull tingling sensation as it numbed. The nurses unlocked the cuffs that restricted her movement and lifted her from the chair, her body limp in their collective grasp. They lowered Angel onto a steel table, not bothering with any restraints due to her inability to move. The wheels beneath her squeaked with old age, and she could tell one of them was broken as it rattled.

They stopped in another white room, only this time, the familiar sound of running water distracted Angel from rushed whispers. "Well? Get her up." She was hoisted from the table after the command was given. Her legs dangled uselessly and scraped against the rough floor as she was carried towards Viviana. "Hello again. I'm sure you're scared, but I promise.. We'll take care of you." Her smile was wicked and made Angelica shake uncontrollably. Viviana turned as she spoke again, "According to your file, you were one excited swimmer as a child. By the age of four you could hold your breathe for multiple minutes, and by the age of seven you joined an adolescent swim team." Purple eyes flashed in Angel's direction.

By this point Angelica was at a loss for even an attempt at words. Her eyelids were heavy but unable to close long enough as her heart raced. She was pulled along, close to a large tub-looking structure. It was full of water and she was able to stare down at her dirty reflection. The water had flakes of what she assumed was rust swirling around, which was coming from the edges of the cracked porcelain. "You may want to hold your breath."

No other warning was presented before her face was pressed into the water. Her blood pounded in her ears as she attempted to thrash, her body still paralyzed. Her skin burned with the cuts, but that was not her concern currently, because she inhaled a good amount of water in her surprised panic. Her head was retracted from the water roughly as they allowed her to cough. Then, just as abruptly as before, she was submerged again.

This treatment continued until Clara stated, "No reaction." Viviana sighed and waved her hand dismissively.

"Very well. We shall continue tomorrow. Send her to the cell again."

"Yes miss." Clara nodded to her colleagues, and they lifted Angel away from the water. The nurses forced her to stay conscious, applying pressure near her open wounds whenever her eyes drifted shut. This was only the first day of four miserable months.

—————

Angelica's first full night in the 'cell' was as horrid as expected. She was practically thrown into the dimly lit room after being hauled from the table. It took what felt like forever for her to regain any feeling in her muscles. She found herself busy dragging her exhausted body across the disgusting floor. If she wasn't covered in blood and shivering, she would be at least attempting to stand. Yet here she was, her arms quivering as she barely avoided her cuts scraping against broken tile. Her hospital gown had been removed after the shot, but her underwear remained.

She managed to slump herself against one of the dark walls, across from the window. Her brown gaze settled on the glass, which she knew separated her from an observing room of sorts. Normally, Angel would be terrified, but currently all she could feel was pain. The incisions produced an agonizing burn, and the cold air that flooded the room worsened it.

Just as Angelica thought she would be left alone, the now-familiar sound of the door being unlocked rang in her ears. A muffled pair of voices seemed to be laughing on the other side, which sent a wave of too many emotions over her. Her thoughts drifted to Lillie until they were interrupted by two guards entering. One of them had short brown hair and gleaming hazel eyes, with glowing tan skin. The other had slick blonde hair and icy blue eyes. They were both largely built, muscles outlined by dark blue uniforms. They seemed to stare at her thin frame as the brunette carefully placed folded white fabric by the door. Angel's gaze followed their every movement until they left, and then rested on the fabric. She hesitated until her curiosity bested her, urging her to approach. Or at least heave herself closer. When she came to a breathless stop, she inspected the cloth with numb fingers.

Angelica lifted the shirt that laid on top, squinting helplessly at the red-outlined patch, which she assumed to be a name tag. She finally surrendered her attempt to read the letters and slipped it on. It was a size too big but she didn't care, it was warmer than nothing. The pants followed suit and soon she was huddled against the toilet, hugging her knees to retain as much comfort as possible despite her thick scabs.

A migraine continued to hammer at her head for the whole night, preventing any type of relaxation. She really wanted to leave. She forced her eyes closed and tried to steady her ragged breathing, but her attempts were fruitless. She surrendered once her lungs aches from failed deep breaths, and a deep wave of nausea poured over her. Angel twisted around and just barely managed to hurl into the foul-smelling toilet. She hung her head until her muscles convulsed again. Her body quickly emptied, but she continued to dry-retch for what felt like hours. When saliva finally stopped pooling in her mouth as a sign of withdraw, she slumped in defeat. Her legs laid awkwardly behind her, and her arms splayed over the toilet for support. Her vision was clouded and her stomach was tight with pain as she stared at the opposite wall sideways.

—————

The tests continued.

On the eighth night, Angelica was approached by the guards from before. She didn't bother trying to shuffle away from their touch as they slurred drunkenly to each other. It was fine until they decided to undress her. That was the worst night of her life.

Angel only noticed differences in the second month. Her skin was sickly pale, as if she were dead, and itched furiously. Whenever she managed a glimpse of her hair in any nearby reflective surface, it was matted and partially stained from blood. Her eyes seemed to be.. lighter. It was hard to tell.

Sometime in the third month, after a day filled with data gathering and analysis that Angel couldn't quite remember, a nurse entered the cell. It was Edward. He held something black in his hands, which had silver buckles that glinted slightly in the dark room. As he approached, Angelica attempted to shift away from where she sat, but she stumbled over herself.

She barely noticed he had begun speaking, "This is only temporary until we can build a more.. permanent device." He had an unsettling grin as he spoke. He continued forward calmly

Edward finally crowded over her and pressed the black leather against her face, securing the muzzle around her head as if she were a dog. "Perfect."

It irritated her already raw skin and made her desperately pull at it. Despite her efforts, nothing happened. Edward stared down at her with an amused expression. "You can stop trying. It's not going anywhere." He held up a small key before slipping it into his pocket and exiting the cell. Angel scrambled on her hands and knees in an attempt to escape out the closing door, but she didn't get very far before the hallway light disappeared. She slid down onto the concrete floor and clawed at her face, feeling the deep scratches that were forming on her skin. She ignored the burn of the cold air against them and continued hopelessly in the dark room.

Angelica wished there were windows.


	4. Recounting Memories That I Don't Remember.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> subject 031 meets her mission team after forgetting something, or rather someone, that she wants to remember.
> 
> word count : 2,188

Angelica didn't know how long it had been. She gave up trying to count the days. She found no purpose for it. Every day was just another test, another bout of torture. A horrific cycle that she couldn't stop.

That day was no exception to pain, but it was different.

—————

Angel had managed to curl herself into a tight ball in the far corner of her cell. It had taken all night for her to drag herself away from the door, because despite the 'progress' of the last week, her whole body ached. She was sweating profusely by the time she settled against the wall and drew her knees up to her chest. She didn't remember much from the previous day, but the incisions that they created were somehow already scars. Angelica decided to ignore it and focus on breathing. Lately, it was a bit of a struggle to breathe unless she really focused on it. Even then she hated the queasy feeling it gave her. It was almost as if she was suffocating slowly.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sound of keys at the door. At this point she had grown to expect that someone would find a reason to be there. If it wasn't a nurse, it was a guard, or the person who came to give her food. Or well, an IV that supplied the necessary nutrients and such. The muzzle was never taken off.

Angelica refocused her attention on the door, watching as harsh light streamed into the grimy room. A small group of unfamiliar doctors trailed inside, followed by Edward, who wore a smug grin. "Here she is." He informed the others. He had something wedged between his right arm and torso, but Angel was too focused on observing them all to identify it.

"And you say she is ready for the process?"

"Yes, I can assure you that she has passed all her recent trials." Edward stated, glancing at Angel.

The tallest doctor, a male, about 6 foot with short brown hair, spoke next. "The file, if you please?"

"Ah, yes." Edward handed the object over, which Angelica could now recognize as a clipboard, and adjusted his glasses. "I'll have Clara prepare her. I can bring you all to the observatory, it shouldn't be too long."

The doctors nodded in what seemed to be agreement and allowed Edward to lead them away. Angel felt a sting of rising panic. What were they implying? She didn't know how much more she could handle in her current state. 

Clara invaded the room shortly after they exited.

—————

Angelica had almost forgotten what the numbing injections felt like. Almost. But they had to give her another one since she tried to resist. This time, however, they restrained her, since they mentioned something about 'lower dosage.' Whatever they were doing to her today, she needed to feel. That thought made her shiver.

It was a long journey on the cold metal table. They wove through empty halls that echoed horrendous sounds from the aligning rooms. That brought the thought to Angel's mind that she was not the only patient here, although not for the first time. Viviana had mentioned other subjects before whenever she had to leave during a session. Angelica flinched at the sounds internally, the gurgled screams and hysterical crying made her nauseous. When they finally wheeled her into a large area where the hallway ended, she peered over at the scientists from before. Or rather, behind them. There was a machine of some sort with a chair in the center, surrounded by panels and wires. Two mechanisms hovered above the headrest of the seat.

Even if the injection had worn off, Angel knew there was no possible way to defend herself. Not to mention, there were at least ten guards scattered around the room and two at the exit point. She was a dead weight in the security's arms as they carried her to the chair, practically tossing her onto the leather seat and securing metal cuffs over her arms and ankles. The freezing touch of the silver bands made her shiver.

She seemed to lose track of time. In what seemed like an instant, the mechanisms were lowering towards her face, and the scientists were rambling about something she couldn't understand. Angelica gripped at the ends of the armrests in sheer terror. _What the hell is happening?!_

Angel came to her senses as the panels lifted from her skin, a headache pounding at her head. She felt different but unchanged at the same time. She felt as though something was missing, but.. What could it be? Doctors who she recognized but didn't know began speaking to her, explaining her situation. Something was off, but she didn't speak. She wasn't given a command, and she only acted when given a command.

Something happened to Angelica that day.

Angelica Lynn Walters was no longer herself.

_Who am I?_

—————

"031?" The strange woman that stood behind a long counter of sorts called. Angel stepped forward when her name (or rather number) was called, her steel white gaze resting on the unfamiliar figure. "Oh." She glanced at the muzzle, which made Angelica huff and continue walking. She was in a large room lined with tables, and she could tell that those who occupied the seats were like her. She vaguely remembered the word for this sort of area, a _cafeteria_.

Angelica sat silently in one of the gray chairs labeled with her number. That number was the only sort of identification that she had, and from what she remembers, that is what she's been called since birth. She didn't allow her mind to stray to distant memories. Dr. King always said that she wasn't allowed to think about her past, so she repressed it. She stared intently at the solid white table until a voice interrupted her, "Are you 031?" She looked over at the source of the sound, an Asian female with tan skin and wide brown eyes that sat to her left. She had a tray before her with steam clouding above it. Angel shot her an unamused glare. "What?" Angel was tempted to roll her eyes, but she simply gave a curt nod. "Why do you have a muzzle on?"

Her brows furrowed as she touched the black leather. She shrugged off the question nonchalantly and turned to look at the table once more. "I'm 032." The girl smiled awkwardly, then leaned back to see the patient on the other side of Angelica. "You must be 030, right?"

"Yes.." The young boy seemed anxious as he poked at the bland food on his plate.

"I guess you guys are my team then." 032 patted Angel's shoulder, which made her react instantly. She grabbed the other girl's hand, twisted it over, and glared at her harshly. A low growl surfaced from her throat. "Whoa, whoa, sorry.." Some of the guards were shuffling nervously as they watched, but Angelica simply dropped her hand and crossed her sore arms.

030 was wide eyed as he observed them, "What do you mean, team?"

"Dr. King said that whoever sits at the table with us is our team for missions."

Angel glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. _I hope I die before I have to deal with her for a whole day._

As it turns out, Angelica did in fact have to spend the remainder of her day with 032 and 030. 032 was exceptionally chatty until they entered an auditorium of sorts. Rows of metal chairs lined the black room. They sat in the third row, waiting to be secured to the seats. As they listened quietly, they could hear every individual patient being called. In total, there were ninety-nine others in the room. Angel exhaled shakily, finding it a bit difficult to breathe. This wasn't abnormal, she had been having this issue since she received her abilities, but it was significantly worse. She assumed it was due to not returning to her cell since that morning. It felt as though the oxygen was being drained from her lungs as she inhaled. Angelica did her best to ignore the pressure on her chest.

032 seemed uncharacteristically worried, but wasn't allowed to speak. She kept peering over at Angel. Even 030 prodded at her hand to see if she would respond. She dismissed them and focused on breathing and the screen before them.

They were in the auditorium for what felt like forever, but was most likely only a few hours. They were shown a variety of training videos before being sent off. Most of them were directed to various training rooms, but Angelica's group was pulled away. 030 and 032 were confused, but the guards escorting them explained that Edward prepared something for Angel. Edward greeted them at the doorway of a operation room with Viviana at his side. They were all ushered inside, and Angelica was placed on a table. It was familiar, and made her reasonably unsettled.

"We are going to replace your restriction device today." Edward was always one for formalities. He never used the word muzzle. Angel twitched and responded with a short nod, to which Edward smiled. "Good. 030 and 032 will be here to observe." The last part was more directed to the guards who stood by the other patients in the corner.

She felt as the leather was removed from her face, the raw skin beneath it prickling uncomfortably in the cold air. "Where is the new device?" There was a bit of shuffling before Edward finally held the new muzzle above Angelica for her to see. It was more solid, instead of having multiple straps like the previous one. It somewhat resembled the one that the Winter Soldier wore, only it was a dull silver and had two holes near each end. That image remained in her head as they restrained her. Angel didn't think that they would need to, since they were simply giving her a new 'restriction device,' but what she didn't figure was that this one was meant to be a little more permanent.

The muzzle, or rather mask, was placed over her face. She suddenly felt a searing pain on the left side of her bottom jaw. An annoying whirring vibrated in her ears as she felt a drill push into her flesh. A gurgled scream was caught in her un-opening mouth as Edward and the nurses proceeded to secure the device with four screws It was arguably the most pain Angelica had ever endured. She could feel the blood running down the side of her neck as the nurses worked to stop the bleeding. Her hands clenched into tight fists as she cried in agony. 030 and 032 could only watch on in shocked horror.

Angel fell unconscious for several hours.

—————

Angelica, disoriented from sleep, forgot where she was momentarily. A state of silent panic washed over her as she sat up, surveying her surroundings. The unbearably sore pain in her jaw reminded her of that days events. She carefully reached up and ran her fingertips over the silver, flinching as they touched the screws. Even swallowing was painful. Any attempt to move her mouth resulted in her eyes watering from how much it hurt.

"031?" 030's voice was shaky as Angel looked over at him. She forced her face to stop twitching to minimize the pain. It didn't help much, but it was an attempt. "032, she's awake."

"Are you alright?" Angelica looked over at 032, who looked absolutely terrified. Then she remembered something. They were forced to watch. 032, in the short time that Angel knew her, was usually energetic and kind of oblivious. 030 was just a kid. The experience clearly wrecked them. She gave a small nod, followed by a weak whimper when 032 touched the metal. She retracted her hand quickly.

Angel finally registered that they were in a cell much like her own, but there were three mats on the floor for them to sleep on. She noticed a large glass enclosure in the corner that held water. It was on a short rack of sorts that had wheels, and had a label. '031.' It confused Angelica, so she pointed to it. 030 and 032 noticed that she was asking a question of sorts. "Oh that. Dr. Viviana said that it would help you breathe and heal. Not sure how."

"I think she said it's kind of like a human fish tank." 032's comment made Angel furrow her brows, _a human fish tank, really?_

"Here, I can help you into it if you'd like." She shrugged slightly and allowed 032 to lead her over to the glass. She stared at it for a bit before grabbing the top and, with the assistance of 032, pulled herself over the edge. As soon as she submerged herself in the water, she took a deep breath instinctively. Angelica almost resurfaced in fear until she realized that she could actually breathe normally. It didn't make sense. Humans aren't able to breathe underwater.

Then again, she wasn't just a human anymore.


	5. And Here I Thought This Would Be Easy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ hopefully this chapter will be more interesting for you guys ]
> 
> 031 goes on her first mission with 032 and 030.
> 
> word count : 2,727

Angelica ended up spending all night in the tank.

After a few hours her jaw no longer hurt, but was still occasionally sore. When 030 woke up, he wandered over to the glass to observe her. Angel noticed he kept glancing at her neck, but he didn't say anything. 032 joined him shortly after. She tilted her head as she spoke, "What's that?" She pointed at the exposed skin of Angelica's neck, making her instinctively cover it. When she did, however, she felt long, sensitive slits in her flesh. That explains the breathing issue.

030 apparently heard a guard approaching, so he turned to face the door with his hands at his sides and a neutral expression. 032 mirrored him, but Angel couldn't do much underwater. She simply sat at the bottom of the tank, staring blankly at the doorknob that began to turn. Two guards entered the room, along with Viviana. "Ah, I see I was correct." She smiled warmly at Angelica. "How was your rest 031?"

She nodded her head in response. Viviana repeated the motion in understanding and directed her to exit the tank. Angel stood in the water and gripped the top edge, hauling herself over the thick glass and landing quietly on the concrete floor. Her clothes and skin were strangely dry, but her hair had been mostly smoothed out from the water and now clung to her shoulders. "Perfect. Now, all of you come with me. Your training begins today."

—————

At first training only consisted of watching tapes and reading files, but after a month they were doing extensive physical training in an isolated room. At this point they had been training for three months, according to one of the administrators.

Today, 032 was working on hand-to-hand with Angelica while 030 perfected his wolf shift. After spending almost everyday with them, Angel learned that 030 is what they call a shapeshifter, and 032 has something called a symbiote. She has only seen it a few times, and even then it was only glimpses of various parts. It seemed to be a deep crimson color with bits of black and purple. 032 called it 'Chaos.' Angelica heard from some of the other patients that it was extremely powerful. Losing focus, she missed 032's fist and felt it collide with her rib-cage a moment later. The breath was knocked from her lungs and she doubled over, placing her hands over her stomach. 032 panicked and took a short step back, "Shit, are you alright?" Angel glared up at her, but inwardly sighed and let her brow relax. She took repeated deep breaths, which helped steady her. After thirty long seconds, they resumed their training. 032 made sure to be more careful, and Angelica cleared her mind.

They were rudely interrupted by guards and the nurse Clara, who informed them that William needed to see them. Angelica had only met William once with 030 and 032 when they were first assigned to training. She wasn't sure what his title was, but it wasn't as though she could ask. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and threw her regular uniform over her spandex. The three of them lined up with 030 in the front and 032 behind Angel, their numerical order. They proceeded to follow Clara with guards at both their sides. Angelica didn't quite understand the need for so much security in a place where everyone was willingly, but she had heard of former patients lashing out due to testing before. She shivered at the thought. She'd rather not think about the tests.

Their final destination was a brown office of sorts, with soft carpet and comfortable furniture. They were directed to a set of chairs and sat silently, waiting for William to speak. He grinned at them and spread three folders over the front of his desk. They were all labeled with numbers, one for each of them. When 032 hesitantly reached for hers, he nodded in reassurance. Soon, Angelica was opening the folder to see a file with multiple photos attached and a mission statement at the top. "Here is your first mission. 031 will take the lead for this one."

—————

Eddie was having a surprisingly slow day. He had nothing to write about and no current issues to deal with. He wasn't complaining of course, this was his first day without some type of distraction in months. Currently, he was nestled on the couch with multiple blankets, watching television with Venom. They had grown pretty close after their kiss during the whole Carlton Drake incident. After a few late night conversations and more kissing, they basically concluded that they were significant others.

Focusing back on the screen before him, Eddie almost missed Venom speak. "Something is wrong."

"What do you mean?" A crease formed between his eyebrows as he watched Venom's face appear before him.

"Someone is here."

He attempted to wave V off, "I'm sure it's nothing, calm down." He didn't hear anything at the door, so he wasn't really concerned. Venom insisted.

"Eddie, I'm serious." As if on cue, a knock sounded at the front door. Eddie found it eerily similar to his first meeting with Venom and quickly stood up from the couch. He watched the door anxiously, prepared to run at any second.

"Eddie?"

He blinked, "Annie?" _Be careful._

_Chill, V._

"Yeah it's me, open your door already." Eddie rolled his eyes and walked to the front of his apartment.

"V, it's just Annie, I don't get why you're so-" When the wooden door swung open, a hand wrapped over his throat, forcing the air from his lungs. He was pushed against his wall by a shorter female. Her eyes were a dull gray and the bottom half of her face was covered with a mask of some sort. She wore a black leather and spandex suit that had silver details, and had a skull pen of some sort on the tall collar. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that another young woman held Anne in her arms, which seemed to be covered by something. _Is that?.._

_Yes Eddie._

The last thing he noticed was a little boy, probably only about nine years old, who held two sharp knives. Eddie gripped at the blonde girl's arm that was holding him and allowed Venom to engulf his body. The symbiote pushed her off and spun around, pinning her to the same wall. He heard the other two in the room say something, but neither of them could move before he had them against the opposite wall. Although they tried to defend themselves, they were clearly inexperienced. Venom focused on the blonde girl, who was struggling for air and thrashing against his body. Eddie noticed something strange about the mask on her face, and tried to pull the silver device off. It didn't budge, but a gurgled gasp for air made him remove his hand.

It occurred to him that Annie was still in the room, and he certainly didn't want to remain there any longer. In one swift movement, he released all of them and bounded over to Anne, picking her up before he leaped through the window of his apartment. He wasn't sure where he was going, but something about those kids freaked him out. _How did that one girl get a symbiote? Had he seen that symbol before? Are they working for someone? They're too young for that. Why wouldn't that mask thing come off?_

Something was horribly wrong and he needed to tell someone.

—————

Angelica rubbed at her now bruised throat. It had been at least ten minutes since their failed attempt at capturing the one they called Eddie Brock, and she was still struggling to breathe. She remembered the feeling of him pulling on the muzzle, the screws that held it in place cutting into the flesh that had eventually regrown around them. It was an awful burning sensation that only worsened her erratic breathing. 030 and 032 were disoriented, and 030 had a gash on his back from something he was thrown against.

"What are we supposed to do now?" 030 complained while 032 helped him to his feet. He stumbled slightly before regaining his balance, retrieving his knives from the floor.

"Find out where he went. Guess our mission will take a little longer than expected."

—————

Eddie dropped Anne back at her house and left immediately after she was safe.

"Oh honey! What are you doing here?" His sarcastic tone was painfully apparent.

"Can I come in?" Eddie watched Wade cross his arms and cast him an unimpressed glare. With a melodramatic roll of his eyes, he opened the door enough for Eddie to slip inside. As soon as he heard the door shut behind him, he laced his fingers into his hair and proceeded to speak too quickly.

"Eddie, slow the fuck down. I can't understand you when you talk like you're on crack."

He stopped before beginning his explanation again, more slowly. "Shut up. Basically I was just in my apartment and Venom said something was wrong. Anne was at the door so I opened it, but when I did someone just grabbed me by the throat and tried to kill me. At this point that shits normal, but here's the weird part. The people who broke in were kids, like one of them was at most ten. There was one that had an alien symbiote, like Venom."

Wade seemed to be deep in thought as he crossed his arms, "So a couple of kids barged into your apartment and tried to murder your sorry ass?"

Eddie nodded, "Yeah. They had like, professional made super-suits or whatever, and the one that grabbed me had a pin on the collar."

"What did it look like?"

"I don't know, like a skull with tentacles." Wade's brows furrowed as he continued. "And the girl also had this mask thing on. I tried to take it off but it wouldn't move. It seemed like it hurt her or something.. I don't know if somebody sent them or what, but something was really wrong." He seemed to consider Eddie's words for a minute before pulling out his phone. He dialed a number and waited for an answer.

"Hello? Yeah hi Weas. I don't give a fuck if it's late, I need a favor. I'll pay you later just shut up for a second. I need you to look up something for me." Wade paused, "Yes I'm serious, just take some notes or some shit." Eddie listened as Wade summarized the story for Weasel, including the description of the symbol on the pin. "Fine, yeah, just do it."

"Can I crash on your couch?"

"Of course! I'll get the ice cream. Just don't make any moves on me, I have a cute ass boyfriend already." 

And there was that hilarious maniac that Eddie couldn't stand. "Very funny. You know you would've never met Peter if I wasn't there."

"I can talk to people by myself!"

Eddie laughed, "Bullshit, old man." He was answered with a chuckle before he sat himself down on the couch. His mind was still reeling and he was tired as hell, but the light banter did help a bit. He felt a comforting pressure around his right hand thanks to Venom. It mimicked them holding hands, and he appreciated the gesture. _Thanks, V._

_No problem, Eddie._

—————

“Why are you here so late?” Peter rubbed at his brown eyes tiredly, squinting beneath the hallway light as he stared out at Wade. Strangely, Eddie accompanied him.

“Something new happened! Tell him Eddie, tell him!” Wade cheered, mimicking a child’s voice as he smiled beneath his mask.

Peter gave a disheveled Eddie a tired grin. “Come inside first, I don’t need two lunatics loitering at my doorstep.” He pulled the door back and leaned away so they could push past. Wade, of course, ran a tantalizing hand across his hips while he passed, earning a blush from the younger man. Once they were seated on the couch, Peter offered them both some drinks. Whiskey for Eddie, and hot chocolate for Wade. They graciously accepted. “So?”

“Right.” Eddie continued to explain what had happened earlier that day. Peter’s eyes seemed to widen an impossible amount as he concluded. “Oh, there was this symbol on the blonde chick’s pin. It was like a skull with tentacles.”

Peter sputtered against his glass of water and coughed, “Wha- Shit- I n-need to call Stark.”

Both of the older men frowned at the mention of Tony, “Why?” They questioned simultaneously.

“If that symbol is what I think it is, we have a serious problem.” He seemed terrified, which only made Eddie and Wade fidget relentlessly.

“What do you mean serious problem?” Wade’s concern was etched into his voice.

Peter froze as he stared down at the phone in his trembling hands, “From what you’re telling me, you just had a run-in with H.Y.D.R.A.”

—————

Tony glared over at the buzzing phone on his cluttered desk, peering down at the screen. Peter’s contact photo was visible, and Tony almost believed it to be an accidental call. When it continued ringing, he finally answered. “Yeah? Slow down kid, slow down. The hell happened?”

He felt his brows slowly knit together, “Okay, okay. Calm down. Who told you this?” His expression morphed into one of slight annoyance as Wade and Eddie were mentioned. “Really? Look, I don’t have time for you guys’ dumb jokes, alright.”

“I’m serious, Tony! Can you at least look into it?” Peter pleaded.

“Sure, whatever, get some sleep kid. Stop calling me so late.” And with that, he hung up. H.Y.D.R.A. was destroyed with S.H.I.E.L.D., so there wasn’t really much to look for. Still, Peter was absolutely reeling over the story, hardly stopping to catch his breathe. Sometimes he overreacted, but nothing like that. Stark decided to give a quick call to Steve.

—————

Angelica, 030, and 032 made themselves at home in Brock’s apartment. He had a laptop and various other electronics that they could use to track him, but they had no luck. 032 had gone to busying herself with traffic cams while 030 raided Eddie’s pantry. Angel was lying face down in his bathtub, attempting to get a bit of rest. It didn’t work, of course, but at least her skin burned a little less around the screws in her jaw. 032 interrupted her quiet thoughts by carefully sitting on the lid of the toilet. She stared down at Angelica, awaiting an acknowledgement of sorts.

She sighed beneath the water and decided to pull herself to the edge of the tub, folding her arms over the side. She rested her head on the bare skin of her forearms and stared up at 032. Angel had shed her suit and placed it on the sink so she didn’t have to deal with the tight leather and spandex combination. Apparently, at some point, 032 had found the time to change into her regular white uniform for what Angelica assumed was comfort. “Still hurt?” Curious brown eyes glanced down at the silver mask. She shook her head and exhaled audibly from her nose. “Sorry we couldn’t do much. Training isn’t exactly a representation of actual fights.” Angel released a humored ‘hmph’ that was her way of laughing beneath the muzzle. 032 smiled tiredly and looked down at the tiled floor. For a moment, Angelica allowed herself to forget the hospital and everything she endured there. She relaxed into the water which was now riddled with flecks of blood and dirt.

She inwardly sighed and thought about the mission when she couldn’t push the thoughts out of her mind. She realized that if they weren’t careful, one of them could be seriously injured. At the beginning she may not have cared either way, but after spending so much time with 030 and 032, she couldn’t promise that the person who hurt them would survive.

“I’ll leave you be. Don’t take too long, we have a new assignment for tomorrow.” Angelica made a strangled noise that 032 recognized as a question of sorts. “We’ll continue our mission later, Viviana said it’s important.” She nodded in understanding, and then she was alone again.

Hopefully this time they would actually succeed.


	6. My Brain's In A Blender.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ this chapter is more focused on the avengers side, also sorry its been a bit, i started school ]
> 
> 031 has nightmares. 032 and 030 are scared. eddie and wade meet the avengers with peter.
> 
> word count : 2,136

Angelica felt her body trembling, but couldn't force herself to move. The walls around her seemed to be collapsing, closing in on her. She felt her chest tightening, as though she was suffocating. Scalpel blades were dragged across her overly-sensitive skin. Her whole body burned and itched furiously, as though she was covered in ants. A weight pressed onto her right shoulder and shook her, waking her abruptly. She jolted out of the water and scrambled backwards, the feelings from her nightmare stubbornly lingering. She failed to control her sporadic breathing as 032 leaned forward and grappled to pry away her arms, "Hey, whoa. 030!"

"What-" 030 stopped in the doorway, his eyes wide as he saw Angel pulling at her hair. In her distress, every noise she made was strangled and put them on high alert. He carefully neared and held out his hands. "031, calm down.."

She shook her head jerkily as her nails dug into her scalp, scratching at the already raw skin. 032 moved her hands to grip at Angelica's wrists, forcing them away from her head. "Breathe." It didn't help Angel much in her frenzied state. She stood suddenly and stumbled out of the bathtub, into the kitchen through the living room. She collapsed against the counter and slid to the floor, wheezing and grabbing at the wooden cabinets. 032 ran after her and lifted her from the floor, embracing her tightly to stop her struggling. "Breathe, come on 031." 032 repeated. "Focus." She snapped when Angelica refused to calm.

Angel fell pliant in the harsh grip of 032's arms and hung her head, taking slow but shallow breaths. She allowed herself to be dragged back to the tub and placed in the water again. She fell back unconscious with 032 rubbing at her back and 030 mumbling something.

—————

Eddie stared down at his phone, his gut twisted with dread as the video ended. He waited for the inevitable reaction from Wade. "What, the fuck.." He mumbled hoarsely, seemingly just as horrified as Eddie. "When did that happen?"

"About three a.m. this morning. I went to check if they were still there and found that. The one in the tub, that's the one that attacked me. That mask thing.." He ran a shaking hand through his short hair, "I don't think it comes off."

Wade's non-existent eyebrows furrowed, "We need to show Peter. He can probably get it to Stark."

"What if Stark doesn't do anything?"

"Then we'll figure something out. Captain America's ass hates HYDRA so I'm sure he would help. His boyfriend too."

Eddie contemplated for a moment, "How do we know for sure that they're HYDRA?" Wade rolled his eyes.

"Stop asking questions and get ready. We're leaving, loser." He pushed himself from his leaning position on the back of the sofa and unfolded his arms, hurrying up the stairs. Eddie glared at him briefly before standing and disappearing into the guest bathroom.

Once Wade finally descended the stairs in his suit, Eddie grabbed his discarded shoes and pulled them on, following the former mercenary out into his garage. He still didn't understand how Wade was so rich, then again, there was a lot of things he didn't know about Wade. Their friendship was weird to say the least, but they weren't super close. As they were leaving his house, Wade called Peter to let him know that they were coming over. At least now they weren't coming over in the middle of the night.

—————

Natasha's green eyes cast a harsh glare at the three men standing before her. Her arms were crossed lazily as she leaned against the door frame. "Peter, why are they here?" She gestured vaguely at Wade and Eddie. They remained quiet, but Wade grinned stupidly.

"It's urgent. We need to call a meeting." Peter swallowed thickly as he gripped at the fabric of his jeans. "Can we please come inside?"

"Nat, let the poor boys in." Clint gave the three a nonchalant wave in passing, the ends of his pajama pants dragging along the clean floors.

Wade chuckled at Clint's appearance, "Ah there's the old man!"

"You've been talking to Pietro huh?" He lifted a sandy eyebrow before laughing dryly, disappearing down the hallway.

Natasha raised her red eyebrows before sighing heavily, directing a hand behind her. "Fine. I'll call them, but I can't guarantee everyone will show." She grumbled as they entered. She followed after them, letting the guarded door push closed behind her. Her quick strides brought her to the front of the group, where she led them to the large staircase. From there, they continued into the large conference room, where she spoke to Stark's AI. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.? Call everyone to the conference room."

Peter fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, with Wade beside him, who had a steadying hand on his knee. Eddie paced the short wall which held a large television monitor. Most of the Avengers appeared rather quickly, including Steve, Bucky, Sam, Clint, Wanda, Pietro, Vision, Tony, and Bruce. Even Scott and Thor attended. "Glad you could grace us with your presence, asshole." Tony remarked when Thor entered.

"I was visiting." He didn't elaborate further, and instead directed his attention to Eddie who now stood frozen before them. "You have something important to show us, yes?"

He cleared his throat and nodded, "Uh, yeah. Is there a better way to display a video or?.." Eddie trailed off in confusion. F.R.I.D.A.Y. must have been listening, because the screen behind him flickered on to display his phone screen. He stared at it momentarily in disbelief, before breathing deeply and shuffling out of view. He muttered something intelligible before playing the video.

The Avengers were all silent as they watched on in horror, the quiet audio from the video the only sound in the room. When it ended, Steve was the first to speak, albeit softly.

"Where was this taken?" His blonde eyebrows were drawn together as he scowled at the last frame, which displayed the backs of 030 and 032 leaning over the bathtub. Eddie dug his short fingernails into his palms as he carefully explained the same story he told Peter and Wade. The attack, the symbol, everything. Bucky seemed to shrink into his seat and Steve held his hand tightly.

Peter spoke next. "We think it was H.Y.D.R.A." He mumbled, staring down at the table. Everyone visibly tensed, even Tony, who wasn't one for serious conversation.

The mention of the organization's name made Steve inhale sharply, "But those're.."

"Children." Eddie deadpanned. "The shortest one looked to be 10, at most." He paused to catch his breath a bit before continuing, "The mask that the girl wore, I tried to take it off, but it wouldn't move. She made this _horrible_ noise like- like it-" Eddie flinched as he remembered the strangled gasp and her wide, white eyes.

Peter finished for him when Eddie looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Like it hurt."

—————

Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Scott were sent with Eddie, Wade, and Peter to investigate the apartment. They stood just outside the door, with Steve, Bucky, and Wade at the front of the group. Peter, Sam, and Scott were on the building adjacent to the window. Eddie stood rigidly behind Wade, twiddling his thumbs.

After a quick signal, Steve smashed the edge of his shield against the door knob and broke it off. The door swung open, and they rushed into the apartment hastily. Instantly, the brunette girl with the symbiote stumbled out of the bathroom in a frenzy. She stared at them wide eyed for a moment, before the boy appeared at her side and they launched themselves at Steve and Wade. The final member tripped out the door and made a sprint for the window, which burst open with the force of Sam diving through it. She was sent flying into the wall after his feet collided with her stomach. Her head lolled to the side hazily as she gripped at the cracked wall around her.

The one with the symbiote was now covered head to toe with deep red flesh, it's black and purple veins prominent. Eddie allowed Venom to overtake his frame after he practically growled the name, _"Chaos."_ Venom pulled them away from Steve, slamming them against the counter brutally.

"Hey, ease up!" Eddie hissed.

Wade was currently wrestling with the boy, although it didn't take much effort to pin him. "Kid, what are you doing?!" He didn't reply, but focused his attention on where Venom was fighting with Chaos. He struggled with a cry when he noticed that.

"032!" He yelled, his figure seeming to grow smaller beneath Wade. He watched in confusion as the kid shape-shifted before him, turning into a small rabbit. He pulled out of Wade's grasp and returned to his normal body soon enough to grab hold of Chaos and pull them away. The kid had a surprising strength to him.

Chaos picked him up hurriedly, rushing to the now broken window and leaping from it effortlessly. Bucky attempted to stop them, but was knocked over in what they assumed was a rush of adrenaline on Chaos' part. When Venom peered over his shoulder, the blonde one was gone as well. "Fuck." Eddie stated once he regained control of his body.

"Language." Steve muttered bitterly.

"Oh, shut up." Sam rolled his eyes, rubbing at his forehead in annoyance.

—————

"He called her 032. That's not a name, it's a number." Wade explained, gritting his teeth restlessly as Peter clung to his side. Apparently, Peter wasn't quick enough to catch them while they were escaping, since the blonde girl ran into him full force. He ended up cracking his head on the cement roof of the building, and Wade was now holding an ice pack to it.

Bucky looked distressed as he bit at the bloody skin of his bottom lip. "They probably don't know their names." The room's attention quickly snapped over to focus on him, "Knowing H.Y.D.R.A., they're brainwashed, and were probably tortured."

Eddie's knuckles were a bright white as he gripped the back of an empty chair, "Why kids though? And what do they have in common?"

"Eddie, do you have cameras in your apartment?" Eddie thought for a moment, before remembering the cameras that he installed for security purposes when he first met Venom, and nodded. Natasha shifted her weight, "Tony, can you pull the footage?"

"Since when could I not?" Stark grinned tiredly and migrated to the front of the room, where a hologram display appeared before him. He typed at the blue keyboard and flicked through multiple displays, until a view of Eddie's apartment appeared on the wall. Normally, he would be freaked out, but honestly he didn't expect any less from Tony Stark. The billionaire rewound the tape, pausing just before Steve broke into the room, and allowed it to play.

—————

Some guards from the hospital had come to retrieve them later that day, although Tabitha couldn't remember the trip back to the hospital. Actually, she didn't remember anything from the previous day or night. She did, however, know that some piece of her memory was missing. She felt 031 bury her head further in the crook of her neck as they sat on the cold floor, still trembling from the operation. They had replaced her mask, and it was still bleeding, the crimson liquid a harsh contrast to her pale neck. Afterwards, 031 kept releasing a string of choked sobs until she had to catch her breath again. 032 listened to her fluctuating breathing as she held her. "It's okay, it'll be over soon. The bleeding will stop soon, just breathe." Tabby reassured, trying to placate her as she felt sharp nails embed themselves in her flesh.

"When are they going to bring the tank back in here?" 030 hissed, his hand running smooth circles over 031's knee.

Tabitha carefully tightened her grip on 031 when she continued crying, "I don't know, but they better hurry." She growled, staring over at the heavy cell door. 031 whimpered pathetically beneath her.

They waited for a solid thirty minutes before the tank was finally returned to the room, refilled with slightly cleaner water, although still dirty. As soon as the nurses fled the room, Tabby lifted 031 in her arms and lowered her into the water with 030's assistance. 031 rested in the bottom of the water, still shaking, but breathing deeply now. Tabitha watched her stomach rise and fall.

"Goodnight." She muttered before sinking to the ground beside the tank, placing her head against the glass gently. 030 curled into her side and drifted to sleep. Tabby stayed awake all night until she heard a quite hum resonating from the water, which lulled her to sleep surprisingly fast.

_Was that 031?_


End file.
